


Not-So-Bad Kid

by HowShouldIKnowboutLife



Series: Local Basketball Nerds Adopt Sports Children [4]
Category: Free!, Haikyuu!!, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball, Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Angst, Gen, as always, but it's okay because his new family loves him, context given in beginning notes, i don't have siblings does it show? lol, local basketball nerds adopt sports children, rin doesn't like being orphaned, you don't need to know the characters to read and enjoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-29 00:23:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15061007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowShouldIKnowboutLife/pseuds/HowShouldIKnowboutLife
Summary: Rin has been fostered with the Akashis for less than a week now, but that's probably enough for them to realize they wouldn't want a bad kid like him, right?





	Not-So-Bad Kid

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! Thanks for stopping by!
> 
> As promised, context: Akashi and Kagami are grown up and have adopted (or are in the process of adopting) Minami (14 years old), the Hinata siblings (Shouyou = 12 years old, Natsu = much younger), and the Matsuoka siblings (Rin = 12, Gou = 11). The Matsuokas are brand new fosters in this loving family.  
> And that's all you need to know! If you want more information, check out the notes on the series' page.
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy; let me know what you thought! <3

"Rin! No! That's mine! Give it back!" Shouyou runs across the living room and snatches the tablet out of Rin's hands.

"Wha-- Hey! I was using that!"

"I didn't say you could use it!"

"Sei-san said I could!"

"Well it's mine and I say you can't!"

"It's everybody's and I can!"

"No way!" Shouyou starts to turn away, the tablet held as far away from Rin as possible.

"Yes way! Give it back!" Rin leaps forwards off the sofa and grabs at the tablet, accidentally shoving it out of Shouyou's hand.

It hits the floor hard and they hear the tell-tale crack of something breaking. There's a moment of stunned silence before Shouyou pushes Rin off of him and glares accusingly.

"I'd ask why you did that but I already know."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

“You're a bad kid. A bad kid who breaks everything he touches!”

“I am not!”

“You are! That’s why your last parents gave you back! One week with you was one week too many--”

"Hey! Boys!" Seijuurou interrupts, storming into the room. "What is going on? We do _not_ talk like that in this house. Shouyou, apologize to your brother." 

Shouyou crosses his arms and glares at the wall.

Rin looks at Shou, waiting.

"Shouyou…" Seijuurou says. "Apologize to your brother."

Shou just glares at the wall harder, "No."

Rin scowls. "Whatever. It doesn't even matter. I'm going for a swim." He tramps out the room, heading upstairs to grab his gear, and runs into Kenjirou at the top of the stairs.

"Oh, Rin! Are you free now? Wanna come skate with me?" Kenjirou stops Rin and smiles, undaunted by Rin's sour expression.

"Does it look like I wanna come skate with you?" he replies, glaring a bit.

His foster brother just shrugs. "Maybe. You haven't been here very long, so I'm still learning you."

Rin flinches at the reminder. He and Gou have been fostered with the Akashis for 6 days, 14 hours, and about 20 minutes now. They were in the last house for 7 days, and 10 with the family before that. The longest the Matsuokas have been with one family besides their own was 4 months. That family had started talking seriously about adopting them, when the parents realized they were going to have a child of their own instead. The siblings were given back to the orphanage the next day.

Rin hates it. He hates all the moving back and forth, and the hope that comes with every prospective family. He wishes he knew how to keep him and his sister safe on the streets, 'cause then they wouldn't have to rely on the orphanage and these families who say they care when it always turns out they don’t. Hell, he would strike out on his own anyway, if he didn't need to make sure Gou was happy and safe and not alone. He won't abandon her when he's all she's got left. And honestly… he doesn't want to be left alone when she's all he has, either.

He wishes they had their own family back, even if their dad is gone and Momma can hardly get out of bed from grief. 

He hates it, but he was hoping these Akashis would be it for them. He was really, _really_ , hoping. Seijuurou is kinda stuffy, but he's nice and asks them for their opinions and if he can do anything to make things easier for them. He always listens to what they say. And Taiga is so bright! He seems so genuinely happy that the two of them are with them and -- damn it all -- Rin was getting used to seeing that big smile just for him when he comes home from school.

He doesn't want this to end -- he doesn't want to go back! But Shouyou was right. They've barely lasted longer than a couple of weeks in any place and it is only a matter of time before Seijuurou gets tired of hearing complaints and Taiga stops wanting to smile at someone who never smiles back. Rin could try everything, he could try and be the best son anyone could ever want, but he knows he's gloomy and angry and doesn’t talk a lot. Why would anyone want to keep him around--

"RIN!"

He jumps so hard he has to grab the stair rail just to keep from falling backwards. Kenjirou is looking at him with concern, hands reaching out to grab him if he started falling.

"I'm fine. Sorry. What'd you say?" Rin straightens up and looks away, embarrassed.

"I said I didn't know you very well and then said we should talk some more while doing figures down at the rink, if you're free. You just kinda spaced out for a minute there. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he says.

Kenjirou frowns a little. "You don’t look fine. Are you sure you're okay? If you wanna talk about anything, I'm always here to listen." He smiles real big and puffs his chest out. "That's what big brothers do after all!"

Rin stares at him, a little surprised at the outburst, but mostly caught up on the implication of the words. "You…" he trails off, not sure what to say.

"Hmm? Me what?"

"You… actually think of yourself as my big brother?"

He looks confused. "Yeah…? Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, I mean -- I'm still just a foster here. I've barely even been here a week."

"So?"

"So, you don't know if your parents are gunna, like, get mad at me or something and decide they don't want me and take me back to the orphanage. Why would you commit yourself to being my big brother if you don't even know how long I'm going to be here to be your little brother? It doesn't make any sense!"

Kenjirou just looks even more confused at this. "But I thought Dads said th--"

"Rin," Seijuurou's voice calls out from the bottom of the stairs. Both boys turn to him and Seijuurou starts to climb up to them. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure, I guess." Rin cringes internally; if he could just respond like a normal person and not get all pouty and defensive, people might actually want him to stay around, but of course he can't, he's too pathetic for that.

"Hm, alright. I dealt with Shouyou: he's grounded and should be writing you an apology right now. There is no excuse for talking like that to you."

Rin shrugs and looks away. "It's fine. He was probably right anyways."

"What?"

Rin just shrugs again.

Kenjirou cuts in, "Papa! Rin thinks that we don’t want him here and that we're gunna send him back to the orphanage if we get mad at him! Tell him he's wrong!"

"What?" Seijuurou says again. "Rin, is that true? Do you think we would send you away, especially over something like this?"

He's starting to feel backed into a corner with no way out. He shrugs again, "Maybe. So what?"

"Rin, no." Seijuurou crosses the last few steps between them and takes Rin firmly by the arms. "Rin, look at me."

He reluctantly looks. Seijuurou's face is stern and frowning but it seems like he's not mad at Rin, which is nice.

"There are so many things I want to say about this… Rin, we would not be fostering you here if we didn't want you here, first off. Secondly, you aren't our first kid. Taiga and I understand that things happen. Kids have just as many emotions as adults, if not more, and about half the skill in controlling them; fights happen, people get mad and say things they don’t mean, or break things on accident. It happens to everybody and I would be a hypocrite if I didn't forgive your mistakes. It's alright. We aren't sending you anywhere for any other reason than if you don't want to be here or it's not safe for you to be here." His grip loosens and his face softens with a small smile. "Do you understand that, Rin?"

He's speechless. He can hardly think over the sound of _'we want you here'_ repeating in his head. He feels tears spill down his cheeks in fat drops, and Seijuurou pulls him to his chest in a tight, comforting hug.

"How- How - How can I… believe y- you?" he accuses through his tears. It's too good to be true. No one has ever wanted him to stay. There's no way this family that he's already started caring about cares just as much for him, too -- there's just no way.

But Seijuurou holds him tighter and leans his head onto Rin's. He whispers into his hair, "Because it's true. You may not believe us now Rin, but I swear to you that if you wait and watch, we will prove to you that no matter how many fights or accidents or anything happens, we will still keep a place for you in our home. Always."

Rin feels another body thump against his back and Kenjirou's arms wrap around his middle. "Rin, you're my little brother! I know we only met a little while ago, but you're always gunna be my little brother! No matter what! Promise!"

Rin cries harder. He wants this family so much. He wants and he wants. It hurts, and he hates that he's letting himself want and hope and trust, but with Kenjirou at his back and Seijuurou promising such wonderful things, he can't help believing them just a little bit.


End file.
